Kens Espresso Fueled Ramblings

Something I’ve been thinking about for a while is that when we are using volume to tell us when a shot is done, then we are working with a variable that can and will change wildly. We count the crema in the 30/60ML singe or double, we have to or else we would need to wait until the crema settles and have our shot get cold. Problem is that the crema is a variable that is dictated by the age of the coffee and the type of coffe we are using, and as the coffee beans age the amount of crema will go down. This is pretty useless. Another thing is that if we are using volume, then a shot running to 60ml using 16 grams of coffee and a shot using 18 grams of coffee is going to be completely different, so volumetric rules are worthless.

If we instead use weight then we would have a formula that would not change and a formula that can be consistant with different doses. I never got more into it than that, but then I saw a brillian post by AndyS on Home Barista with a formula that worked.

It’s very simple, we use brew ratioes in percentages, here’s the simplified formula:

• Ristretto:  100%
• Normal espresso: 50%
• Lungo: 33%
• Café crema: 14%
• Drip Coffee: 5.5%

Let’s use a normal espresso as an example, the formula says 50% so we measure by weight 18 grams of grinded coffee. Since it’s simply 50% the total weight achieved in 25-30 seconds would be 36 grams.

I tried a bunch of shots using this formula and damnit, it works. Now of course this, just like the golden rule is not something to be blindly followed, but used as a guideline it’s much better than the old golden rule.

It also allows us to communicate way better online. We can now simply use the brew ratio and much more closely replicate someone elses shots.

Source: Brew ratios for espresso by AndyS